It’s been two years since COVID-19 forced Paris Fashion Week to shut down before it even began. We still wear masks everywhere we go, we still worry about what the next variant will bring. Perhaps things have not changed as much as we would have wanted them to. But, at the very least, the runway is still alive.
Paris Haute Couture Week, as well as Paris Men’s Fashion Week, both came to an end just a week ago. Though shows were fewer and attendance was thinner, there is no denying that fashion is still a force to be reckoned with. It reflects the world around it, so knowing what is ‘in’ or ‘out’ is just a way to understand ourselves.
And with New York Fashion Week coming in less than a week, this is a perfect opportunity to pull back and reflect. Here’s a rundown of everything that happened during Paris Men’s Fashion Week, and some predictions for NYFW.
Paris Men’s Fashion Week & Haute Couture: A Season Of Goodbyes
Virgil Abloh’s Last Show
On November 28th, 2021, we said goodbye to one of fashion’s most important voices. Virgil Abloh came into the industry like a riptide, disrupting the conventional approach to design and imposing his own vision. He was the first black man to lead a French luxury brand – he guided Louis Vuitton Men’s since 2018.
Abloh fully designed his last collection, “Louis Dreamhouse”, before he passed away. As its name would suggest, the show’s inspiration was imagination itself. At Paris Men’s Fashion Week, child-like surrealism permeated the silhouettes and fabrics, with male models strutting down the runway in petticoats and white wings.
Indeed, Abloh also explored the theme of the heavens, perhaps in face of what he knew was coming. Strong silhouettes were reminiscent of Greek gods, and patterns with cherubs, clouds and the Grim Reaper explicitly explored mortality.
It’s always hard to say farewell to someone as brilliant as Virgil Abloh. Yet his legacy lives on, and, through its reversal of societal dress codes, “Louis Dreamhouse” exemplifies the designer’s rebellious zeal.
Death in Couture
Perhaps surprisingly, Louis Vuitton was not the only brand to dabble in themes of death, mortality and divinity this season. In his first Fendi show in front of a live audience, Kim Jones sent statuesque, grandiose dresses down the runway. Inspired by the lively spirit of Rome, the designer made allusions to Christianity and the afterlife through prints and silhouettes.
Furthermore, up-and-coming fashion star Charles de Vilmorin presented his collection through a short film, “La Danse Macabre” (“The Dance of Death”). The piece directly addresses death, with what one might assume is De Vilmorin’s younger self literally interacting with animated skeletons. But not all are serious, as gowns in bright colors and grand shapes suggest a playful tone.
The mortality wave did not leave Viktor & Rolf behind, however, as the brand made blunt references to Dracula himself. Extremely high shoulders in dresses, suits and everything in between, brought the vampire to life. Designer Rolf Snoeren explains Dracula to symbolize “the fear of change in society.”
Contextualized, these continuous references to death seem like attempts to deal with the perpetual fear COVID-19 has stiled in us. The pandemic has led us to confront the fragility of life, and the fashion world is keenly aware of that. Additionally, the industry is in the process of mourning the death of its past self to welcome a much more progressive one.
Buh-Bye to the Norms!
On that note, this Haute Couture season brought some serious change with it. The couture catwalk saw average-sized models strut down in fitted gowns for the first time in fashion history.
There is no denying that the fashion industry is changing. Models like Paloma Elsesser and Ashely Graham have become extremely popular, and their size doesn’t seem to be stopping them. Nevertheless, until now, plus-size models had largely been left out of the haute couture picture. And with couture being fashion’s highest echelon, conquering it is like conquering the fashion world as a whole.
Hence, Valentino’s decision to feature “normal-sized” women in tight, skin-showing garments in its haute couture show is almost revolutionary. The beauty of the collection makes it evident that, by its very nature, couture was never about people fitting into the clothes. It was always about the clothes being fit to people. Valentino’s runway also presented models of different ages and races, showcasing the fact that diversity must be the norm.
As in the catwalk, norms did not stand a chance on the streets. Though Paris Fashion Week shows were smaller, people brought their best to the Parisian sidewalks. Men in skirts, crop tops and platform boots challenged hegemonic ideas of masculinity by their mere presence.
Still, amongst so much change, some things stay the same.
Some Things Never Change
Surrealism, Again
Though perhaps subtly, surrealism permeated last season’s New York Fashion Week. Surely, Collina Strada’s return to nature and Viktor & Rolf’s trompe-l’oeil fur, amongst others, hinted at surrealist themes. The preoccupation with this art movement might have been warranted, especially considering the worrying state of the world at the time.
Yet things have not changed as much as we would have liked them to. Thus, we still recur to fashion for an escape, and surrealism came to proliferate this Paris Fashion Week. The Y Project’s and Louis Vuitton’s focus on illusionary prints are examples of this.
Nonetheless, it is Schiaparelli who reigns in the surrealist department. This is perhaps expected, especially considering the prominence of Elsa Schiaparelli’s collaborations with Salvador Dalí during the original movement. Certainly, Daniel Roseberry has kept up with the tradition, creating stunning designs that seem more like artworks than garments. As he told Harper’s Bazaar, he designs “in order to make people feel something.”
Stick-Thin Bodies
On a grimmer note, it seems that Valentino’s body-positive world did not carry over to the rest of the industry.
Model Arisce Wanzer recently revealed that she was prevented from participating in Paris Fashion Week due to her weight. Shockingly, the model stands six feet tall and weighs 123. In other words, in order to walk down the runway, she would have had to risk her physical health.
It’s worth pointing out that Wanzer is a trans woman, which leaves us wondering about the industry’s double standards. Is it that change must always be disguised in a cloak of normalcy? Is fashion a place where intersectionality remains in the shadows?
Fashionable Animals
Perhaps unsurprisingly, high-fashion brands continue to perpetuate animal exploitation. Surely, some have banned the use of fur. But when the Chanel show’s main attraction is a horse trotting down the runway, one is only left to wonder. Where has all the progress gone?
The topic of animals in entertainment has always been controversial. That’s not to say this is an extreme example. After all, the show featured Grace Kelly’s granddaughter’s horse, and it was her mounting it. But was it really necessary? Transportation and exposure to foreign environments can be highly stressful situations for horses. What was really the point?
What to Expect from New York Fashion Week?
Unlike Paris Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week will see many more in-person events. Starting on February 11th and on the 16th, all events will be subject to the CFDA’s COVID health and safety guidelines. Masks and vaccinations will be required, as well as reduced capacity and appropriate spacing.
However, with Omicron’s proliferation in New York City, some worry about what might happen. Both Tom Ford and Thom Browne have opted out, postponing their shows due to the COVID-19 related logistics. Might this be the case for other brands? We must be prepared for anything.
Still, at least some shows are bound to take place. With the constant significance of escapism during these troubling times, themes of surrealism and imagination will inevitably pop up. Additionally, one must wonder if the preoccupation with death will carry over to the Big Apple. In another tone, will diversity abound? Or will it fall flat?
All and all, it’s exciting to see how the fashion world continues to expand, grow, and include. It all points to a better future.
What did you think of this last Paris Men’s Fashion Week & Paris Haute Couture week? To learn more about fashion events, check out the largest fashion events you must know of!
